Team Americas was declared the winner of the 2014 Swatch Skiers Cup. JP Auclair's crew was 9:7 in the lead after the Backcountry Slopestyle. The decision was to be made at the Big Mountain on 09.01.2014, but after strong winds and high temperatures worsened the conditions, the competition unfortunately had to be canceled. The result of the first day was counted as the final result.
The decision to cancel the Big Mountain was made on the advice of the riders and to ensure their safety. The teams had inspected the planned competition slope in the morning. A forerunner had skied down the slope to test the snow. Then the team captains Julien Regnier (FRA) and JP Auclair (CAN) held a meeting with their teams and finally decided that the conditions were not safe enough to hold the event. The main reason for this was the snow cover, which was difficult to assess, and the rocks, which were only hidden under a thin layer of fresh snow.
"Of course it's a disappointment because we wanted to get the chance to make a comeback," said European captain Julien Regnier. "We tried everything and looked for a suitable slope in the helicopter and waited for the ideal day. But in the mountains, sometimes it doesn't work out, even if you try everything. In the end, I really liked the fact that the decision was in the hands of the athletes. That makes the Skiers Cup something very special."
Despite the cancellation of the official event, the participants took the opportunity to ski down the slope without the pressure of competition, having already waited a long time at the start. A unique show for the spectators! Sage Cattabriga-Alosa (USA) and Seth Morrison (USA) skied a difficult line through a zigzag ramp on the biggest rock on the slope. Kevin Guri (FRA) showed one of his typical high-speed lines and mastered the descent in just a few seconds. And Dane Tudor (USA) used a natural obstacle at the bottom of the slope for a spectacular 720.
After Team Americas' victory, the overall score in the Skiers Cup standings is now 2:2. "I'm proud that I was able to lead the team to victory," said American captain JP Auclair. "Unfortunately, it's a bit incomplete. Both teams would have loved to play each other again today." Event founder Sverre Liliequist (SWE), competing for Team Europe in Zermatt, said: "All the competitors are very good skiers and both teams had a lot of fun together on and off the snow. But they are also real competitors who really want to win their runs. That's why it was important to cancel the event - these guys don't hold back even when the conditions aren't perfect."
With the end of the Skiers Cup 2014, the story of this innovative event is far from over. Thanks to the support of Swatch, the Skiers Cup 2015 is already confirmed.
What remains is the video with impressions of the backcountry slopestyle day. If the highlight video doesn't provide the information you're looking for, fortunately you can watch the riders' complete runs on the skierscup YouTube channel.
